Binder guide or folder for sewing machines



ATTORNEYS BINDER GUIDE OR FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINE May 4, 1943.

8 E: 0 WW 2 4 Z & .rr a a a? a 22 g Q .i 6 J 7 m a a .r 3 w -1 4 a WQ "4 FM/ m n 5 H a 5 f 2 4 ,5 a J .b .4 ,Q R IILUHIIII I. L w uunn N w x 4 /x m M 4 a 4 2 4 a J 4 WW 9 4 3 aw? 5 M r) w a "m P2 4 F "a a w Patented May 4, 1943 BINDER GUIDE OR FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES Alonzo J. Bloodg'ood, Middlebury, Conn.

Application March 1, 1941, Serial No. 381,283

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a binder guide or folder for sewing machines, and has for an object to provide such a guide and folder of improved construction and operation for uniformly folding a tape about the edge of a cloth preparatory to stitching in the machine, and one which may be readily adjusted to control the fold. It may also be adjusted to vary the width of the braid or its overlap on opposite sides of the cloth so that if desired the fold on one side may be wider than on the other.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised a construction as illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is however to be understood that I am not limited to the specific details of the construction or arrangement shown but may employ various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the bed plate of a sewing machine showing my improved guide and folder in operating position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with the tape omitted;

Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the left of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device with portions broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 5 is a view looking from the left of Fig. 1 taken substantially on line 55 of this figure;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section substantially on line 6--6 of Fig. 2 on a somewhat enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the adjustable block removed from the body member and with portions of the adjusting means broken away;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the left end portion of said member;

Fig. 9 is an end view looking from the left of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a partial elevation and partial section thereof substantially on line Ill-I0 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the adjusting means for the guide fingers with portions broken away;

Fig. 12 is a rear elevation of the left hand end of the body member with the adjustable block removed;

Fig. 13 is an end view thereof looking from the right of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a view in cross section of a tape on an enlarged scale.

In the drawing the bed plate of the sewing machine is shown at I5 with any suitabale type of presser foot I6 cooperating with the needle l1, and of course with any suitable type of feed mechanism for the cloth (not shown) under the presser foot.' A strip of cloth is indicated at l8 about the edge IQ of which the tape is to be guided and folded by this guiding and folding device immediately in front of the needle and presser foot in position to be fed under the presser foot with the cloth and stitched thereto by the needle and associated stitching mechanism.

The improved tape guiding and folding means is mounted on the bed plate with the guiding and folding means immediately, in front of the presser foot and needle. It comprises a body 2| secured to the bed plate l5 by any suitable means such as the screws 22 extending through elongated slots 23 in the body, which permit a certain amount of adjustment of the device with respect to the needle to properly position the edge of the cloth. Adjustably mounted in the body is a guide block 24. This block has a head 25 and a stem 26. The stem 26 is mounted in a longitudinal passage 21 in the body and has a threaded end portion 28 on which is an adjusting sleeve 29 threaded on its outer wall in the passage 21 and having a knurled head 30 for operation and adjustment. Threaded on the stem 28 is a lock nut 3! also having a knurled head for operation. The head 25 includes a rearwardly extending portion 32 located in a guideway 33 in the body 2| to prevent turning of the head in the body, but will permit sliding movements of the block longitudinally of passage 21 for adjustment, as will presently be described.

In operative position in the body the head 25 is located at the left end of the body and is provided with vertically spaced guiding lugs 34 forming the opposite sides of a curved guideway 35 extending transversely of the head'at the outer free end thereof.

The body 2| has a head portion 36 provided with a curved guideway or passage 31 for the tape to conduct the tape to the head 25, the forward edge of the head 25 being curved'at 38 in alignment with the guide 31. Rearwardly of the head portion 35 and at the entrance to the guideway 31 the forward edge of the body 2| is similarly curved at 39 to guide the tape into the guideway 31. As shown in Fig. 1 the tape passes through the guideway or passage 31 to the head 25 and then rearwardly through the curved guide 35 betweenthe lugs 34.

Associated with the guide 35 and lugs 34 are guides 40 for the edges 4| of the tape as the tape passes through guide 35. In the construction shown these guides 40 form the free end portions of resilient wire fingers 42 and 43 located in vertically spaced relation at the front side of the head portion 36 of the body. For the purpose of mounting these resilient fingers the front wall of the body is provided with grooves 44 in which these wires are seated and in which they are adjustably clamped by a clamping block 45 secured to the body by any suitable means such as a clamping screw 46.

The opposite ends of these fingers from the guides 4|! are bent outwardly as indicated at 41 to form finger grips for adjustment of the fingers 42 and 43 in their mounting grooves and relative to the body and the head 25, and also to cooperate with the sides of the grooves 44 to prevent turning of the fingers 42 and 43. The free end portions of these fingers is inclined backwardly as shown at 4B and then are offset inwardly toward each other as indicated at 49 and then rearwardly to form the guide portions 45.

In operation these guide portions 40 are located at the inner side of the guide lugs 34 and provide guides for the free edges of the tape as it is folded around the edge of the cloth. The inner edges of the lugs 34 are inclined as indicated at 50 in Fig. 8 to form cam surfaces which are engaged by the outer walls of the guide portions 40. It will then be seen that as the block 24 is adjusted outwardly and inwardly with respect to the body 2| these portions 40 will ride on the cam surfaces 50 and the distances apart of the portions 43 will be varied. The fingers 42 are resilient or have a spring action, and they are so designed that the free end portions 4|] tend to move vertically or separate, and therefore this resilient action retains the portions 40 against the cam surfaces 5| Thus if the block 24 is shifted outwardly or to the left as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the camming action of the cams 50 against the portions 4|] will force these guide fingers inwardly or toward each other against the resilient action of the fingers 42 and 43, and will bring the guide portions 43 closer adjacent the opposite sides of the cloth and fold the tape closer about the edge of the cloth, which is desirable for relatively narrower tape. If the block '24 is adjusted inwardly or to the right then the cam surfaces 5!) will also be carried to the right and will permit the spring or resilient action of the fingers 42 to separate the portions 40 and move them away from each other, thus increasing the gap between them.

The operation of this device is shown in Figs.

1 and 5. The tape is a fiat strip and may or may not be folded to bring the free edge portions 5| over on the back side of the tape as shown in Fig. 14*. It is fed over the curved guide portion 33 into the curved guideway 37, and as it leaves this guideway it passes over the curved portion 38 0f the block 24 and then rearwardly between the guide lugs 34 through the guideway 35. The edge between the curved portion 38 and guideway 35 may be beveled or rounded as shown at a (Fig. 10). The free edge IQ of the cloth I8 is also fed rearwardlythrough this guideway by the feed mechanism of the sewing machine, and as the free edge portion of the cloth passes through the guideway 35 the tape 20 is folded about this free edge, bringing its upper "portion to lie on the top of the cloth and its other portion at the bottom of the cloth just before it passes under the presser foot H5, at which time the edges of the tape are stitched to the cloth by the needle and the associated stitching mechanism. The free edges of the tape are guided by the portions 43 of the fingers 42 and 43.

Adjustment of the block 24 to bring it to the proper location with respect to the edge of the cloth and'other associated elements is effected through the members 29 and 3|. If it is desired to retract the block 24 further into the body the locking member 3| is first loosened and then the member 29 screwed outwardly the desired distance. Then by screwing up on the member 3| the stem 28 and with it the block 24 are drawn to the right until the shoulder 52 (Fig. 7) engages the end of the member 29 at which time it is locked in the adjusted position by the member 3|. If it is desired to shift the block 24 to the left or outwardly the member 3| is first loosened and then the member 29 is screwed inwardly the desired amount. The member 3| is then tightened up and acts as a lock nut to secure the parts in adjusted position.

If it is desired to adjust the fingers 42 and 43 with respect to the body and the head 25 of the block the screw 46 is loosened unclamping the clamping block 45. Then the fingers 42 and 43 may be adjusted by means of the finger grip portions 41, and after adjustment secured in the adjusted position by tightening the screw 46. It will be seen that the fingers 42 and 43 are independently adjustable so that either one may be adjusted to overlap the cloth more or less than the other. Thus if the upper finger 42 is adjusted further to the right or nearer the free edge IQ of the cloth than is the finger 43, then the tape 20 will be folded farther or wider onto the cloth on the under side thereof than it will on the top side of the cloth, because the guide portions 43 of the fingers guide the free edges of the tape as this tape is folded about the edge of the cloth and determine the amount the tape overlaps the cloth.

It will be seen from the above that this forms a very effective and simple guide for guiding and folding the tape rapidly and uniformly about the edge of the cloth, so that it may be easily and uniformly stitched in proper position on the cloth, and also that it may be very readily adjusted for different types, widths and thicknesses of work.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine forwardly of the needle, a block mounted for adjustment on the body and having vertically spaced substantially horizontal guides to fold the tape about the edge 'of the cloth. re silient guide fingers mounted on the body and associated with said guides to guide the edges of the tape, means on the body to shift the block, and cam means on the block cooperating with the fingers to cause shifting of the fingers on adjustment of the block.

2. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine forwardly of the need-1e, a block mounted for adjustment on the body and having vertically spaced substantially horizontal guides to fold the tape about the edge -of the cloth, the inner surfaces of said guides being inclined to form cam surfaces, resilient guide fingers mounted on the body and associated with said guides to guide the edges of the tape and having portions cooperating with said cam surfaces, and means to shift said block and through said cam surfaces to adjust the fingers.

3. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and having a, longitudinal guide for the tape, a block at the outlet end of said guide and to the rear thereof and provided with vertically spaced horizontal guides to guide the tape after it leaves the first guide and fold it about the edge of a cloth, the inner edges of said horizontal guides being inclined to form cam surfaces, means for shifting the block, horizontally extending resilient fingers adjustably mounted on the body, means for clamping said fingers in adjusted positions, and said fingers having guide portions adjacent said guides on the block to guide the edges of the tape and also having portions cooperating with said cam surfaces to adjust said guide portions on adjustment of the block.

4. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body, means for fastening said body to the bed plate of a sewing machine, said body having a longitudinal guide for a tape extending transversely of the direction of stitching feed, a guide block mounted for adjustment on the body longitudinally of said guide and having vertically spaced guide lugs at the outlet end of said guide to receive the tape from the guide and fold the tape about the edge of a cloth being stitched, and fingers located closely adjacent said lugs forming guides for the edges of the tape as it passes between said lugs, and means for mounting the fingers for adjustment relative to the lugs to determine the position of the tape in the block.

5. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of the sewing machine and having a longitudinal guide for a tape extending transversely of the direction of stitching feed, an adjustable block at the outlet end of said guide and forked to provide vertically spaced guides for the tape after it leaves the first guide to fold the tape about the edge of a cloth being stitched, means for adjusting the block longitudinally of the first guide, adjustable fingers at the fork to guide the edges of the tape as it passes through the fork, and cooperating means on the block and the fingers to adjust the position of the fingers by movement of the block.

6. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and having a longitudinal guide for the tape extending transversely of the line of stitching, a block at the outlet end of said guide and to the rear thereof and provided with vertically spaced horizontal guides arranged to receive and guide the tape after it leaves the first guide and fold it about the edge of a cloth moving along the line of stitching, means for adjusting said block longitudinally of the first guide to vary the position of Said vertically spaced guides relative to the out- 65 let end of the first guide, and a pair of fingers mounted on the body and having end portions extending between the guides on the block to guide the edges of the tape as it passes between the guides.

'7. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and having a longitudinal guide for the tape extending transversely of the line of stitching, a block at the outlet end of said guide and to the rear thereof and provided with vertically spaced horizontal. guides arranged to guide the tape after it leaves the first guide and fold it about the edge of a cloth moving along the line of stitching, a pair of horizontally extending wire fingers mounted,

on the body and provided with rearwardly extending end portions located adjacent the guides on the block forming guides for the edges of the tape as it passes between said block guides, said body be'mg provided with longitudinal grooves in which said Wire fingers are located, and a releasable block extending over said grooves for securing the fingers in adjusted positions on the body.

8. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed plate of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and having a longitudinal guide for the tape extending transversely of the line of stitching, a block at the outlet end of said guide and to the rear thereof and provided with vertically spaced horizontal guides arranged to guide the tape after it leaves the first guide and fold it about the edge of a cloth being stitched, means for shifting said block longitudinally of the first guide to vary its position relative to the outlet end of said guide, a pair of guide fingers mounted on the body and having guide portions located adjacent said guides on the block and arranged to guide the edges of the tape as it passes between said guides, and means for mounting said respective fingers for independent adjustment relative to said block to control the width of the fold of the tape on each side of the cloth.

9. In a binder guide for sewing machines, a body adapted to be mounted on the bed of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and having a longitudinal guide for the tape extending transversely of the line of stitching, a block adjustably mounted at the outlet end of said guide and to the rear thereof and having guide means ar ranged to receive the tape from the guide and fold the tape about the edge of the cloth forwardly of the needle, said block having a stem mounted in a guide in the body, an adjusting member threaded on said stem and reacting with the body to shift the block, horizontally extending guide fingers mounted on the body and having guide portions adjacent the block to guide the edges of the tape on the oppositesides of the cloth as it passes through the guide means on the block, and means for mounting said fingers for independent adjustment to control the width of the fold of the tape at each side of the cloth.

ALONZO J. BLOODGOOD. 

